Contacts on the Playa?

[raquelita]

Hey everyone,
I wear contacts, and vastly prefer them to wearing glasses especially when I'm active. I'll be going to BM for the first time this year and all the talk about playa dust has me wondering if contacts are a good idea in the desert. Does anyone wear contacts or glasses and have suggestions?

Thanks!
Raquelita

[phil]

This'll be my 15th Burn, and I've worn contacts every year. There are problems with dust storms, and I have goggles and a back up pair of glasses.

Bring goggles and a pair of glasses and see what happens.

[Timezone LaFontaine]

I wear contacts there, and haven't had trouble with them. I've occasionally seen other people who have, though. The main thing is to listen to your eyes. If they start making crunching sounds, you've got problems.

Here's a few prior threads of peoples' experiences with them:

http://eplaya.burningman.com/viewtopic.php?t=33180

http://eplaya.burningman.com/viewtopic.php?t=23959

http://eplaya.burningman.com/viewtopic.php?t=13627

http://eplaya.burningman.com/viewtopic.php?t=12251

http://eplaya.burningman.com/viewtopic.php?p=124504

[Eric]

I wear the long-term "breathable" disposable lenses, one pair lasts me all week. I never take them out and just make sure I have eye-drops handy. The only issue I've noticed is that I have a slight film over my eyes when I get up, but a quick rinse with the eye drops and that goes away.

Definitely have a back-up pair and your glasses as well, just in case something happens.

[raquelita]

Thanks guys! I guess it's already been discussed at length elsewhere. I just couldn't find those threads. Anyway, I'm usually a daily contact user and have sensitive eyes, so I think I'll just bring a bunch of dailies and a pair of glasses and see what happens.

Also, I noticed in the theme camp listings that there is an eye spa! I bet that's gonna be a great place to go when the contacts prove troublesome.

Check out Dilated Peoples Eye Spa for more info.

-Raquelita

[phil]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/civex/4716504064/

[Ugly Dougly]

The spa might need Braille.

[oneeyeddick]

The spa might need Braille.

They can use thier burn barrel for nice raised letters.

[Savannah]

I had no problems with my contact lenses out there. I brought several pairs of welding/motorcycle googles (dark ones, clear ones) and artificial tears for maintenance, as well as eye drops for redness (didn't want to use those unless absolutely necessary). It was probably more hygienic to leave them in, but I did sanitize or wash my hands and store them in saline at night more often than not. I brought back-up lenses, and a fresh pair for post-playa, and got my first pair of glasses in years specifically just in case. Didn't use 'em.

My campmate was not as comfortable and wore her glasses a lot. She would have been in a world of hurt without 'em.

[lucky420]

wish i could wear my contacts but i have to wear the hard ones and any dirt in your eyes makes it feel like your being eye-stabbed :(

[britzbitz]

These:

http://www.lens.com/contact-lenses/lens150.asp

You can wear them for up to a month without taking them out.

I live outdoors/camping for a month setting up for our festival (so most of July and into August), and then went to BM last year. Used one pair from July - Aug, put in a fresh pair for Shambhala, then put in a fresh pair for BM at the end of August. Always kept eyedrops handy, but rarely needed them. Definitely one of the best decisions I made for that summer, comfort wise.

I went back to my regular contacts for this summer. Even though I didn't do the Burn this year, after having it so easy last summer, I found it was a real bitch to take them out every night while I was on site for our event.

Will def. be buying them again next year, and using them during future summers even when I don't go to Burning Man.

[Ugly Dougly]

Didn't know about that Contact Lens camp!
Someplace clean to douche the eyeballs?

[theCryptofishist]

Didn't know about that Contact Lens camp!
Someplace clean to douche the eyeballs?

I don't know where to go with it. I know where'd I go if I were oneeyeddick. I know where I'd go if I were Hans Bellmer. I'm just not certain what Fishy should do...

[FaeTora]

This was my second year out and I wear contacts the entire time. I keep my glasses on hand if I need them. I also bring a lot of saline because I don't take them out for the week. Yes I know it isn't ideal, but when I tried my first year to take them out, even with clean hands, they had a bit of playa on them and it hurt so bad it took many hours to be comfortable again. Instead, I now wash my eyes with saline a few times a day and wear my goggles and I'm fine.

Hope it helps,

FT